020213 Anti-Meat Activists Are “Enemies of Capitalism”February 9, 2002Washington - What do Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., sympathizers of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, and extremists to the left of the Communist Party have in common? They are all February's new profiles on ActivistCash.com, the most complete online resource exposing the funding sources of the most notorious and extreme groups that conspire to restrict the public's food and beverage choices through intimidation, taxation and misinformation. Four new additions bring the total number of activist groups profiled by ActivistCash.com to 21 since the watchdog site debuted in December 2001. The Center for Consumer Freedom has analyzed IRS funding documentation and extreme activities to expose these anti-consumer organizations and their mission to dismantle the meat industry, prevent the production of genetically improved foods, and promote social anarchy. Water Keepers Alliance “We're starting with hogs. After we get done with the hogs, then we're gonna go after the other ones.” * Water Keeper Alliance president Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., December 6, 2000 The Water Keeper Alliance has declared war on America's pork industry, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is in charge of the battle plan. Officially, Water Keeper is a coalition of more than 80 “neighborhood watch” programs for America's rivers, bays, and shorelines. But this is thin political cover for the real coalition here -- one of big-money trial lawyers (many of them still counting their tobacco-settlement fees) who see billion-dollar payouts where most consumers see ribs, ham, and bacon. The Northern Plains Resource Council (NPRC) “The Unabomber has done nothing, absolutely nothing, that does not find, at some point, justification within our civilization.” * NPRC activist and past board member Wade Sikorski, defending Unabomber Ted Kaczynski Working together with other anti-agribusiness activist groups and a handful of “family farming” organizations, NPRC is the driving force behind an effort to topple the national Beef Checkoff, a livestock program that collects money from cattle ranchers ($1 per head) and applies the funds to agricultural research programs. Beef Checkoff funds are also used to promote U.S.-grown beef products. Institute for Social Ecology (ISE) “I broke with the Communists, because of their Popular Front line -- I was on the extreme Left.” * Institute for Social Ecology founder Murray Bookchin ISE, self-described as “both an educational and an activist organization,” is not an accredited university, but it maintains cooperative agreements with Vermont's Goddard College and with nearby Burlington College. A careful look at the “coursework” offered at the Institute raises some serious red flags. In 2002, Institute for Social Ecology attendees will study “The Anarchist Tradition,” “Radical Agriculture,” “Alternatives to Capitalism,” and something called “Biotechnology, Agriculture, & Racism.” Craig Rosebraugh, former spokesperson for the domestic terrorist group Earth Liberation Front, chose ISE when he decided to enroll in a Master's degree program. The Portland Oregonian noted on September 8, 2001, that Rosebraugh's proposed thesis already has a title: “Rethinking Nonviolence: Arguing for the Legitimacy of Armed Struggle.” Environmental Media Services (EMS) “Unfortunately, a few fringe groups are using misleading statements and blatant falsehoods as part of a long-running campaign to scare consumers about a perfectly safe food. Their long-range goal is to prevent the benefits of biotechnology from reaching the public.” * C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General, speaking on activists who scare consumers about drinking milk -- an EMS campaign on behalf of Ben & Jerry's, a Fenton Communications client EMS is the communications arm of leftist public relations firm Fenton Communications. EMS claims to be “providing journalists with the most current information on environmental issues.” A more accurate assessment might be that it spoon-feeds the news media sensationalized stories, based on questionable science, and featuring activist “experts,” all designed to promote and enrich David Fenton's paying clients, and build credibility for the nonprofit ones. It's a clever racket, and EMS and Fenton have been running it since 1994. The Center for Consumer Freedom represents a coalition of restaurant and tavern operators standing up against the growing fraternity of food cops, health care enforcers, vegetarian activists and meddling bureaucrats who “know what's best for you.”
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